After Ye Feng finished speaking, the two men were stunned.
Chen Zixun shook his head vigorously and said, “Young Master Ye, you must be joking. I know you don’t like Zhang Zehao, but there’s no need to go this far.”
The news that Ye Feng had angrily blasted Zhang Zehao in the group chat today, and even taken a jab at Zhao Wenquan, was already spreading like wildfire among the wealthy second-generation circle and the business community.
It was just a personal grudge. There was no need to escalate it like this.
Li Yonghua, being older and more composed, cleared his throat to ease the awkward atmosphere before speaking, “Young Master Ye, forgive me for being blunt. In the Jinling Clothing Market, the Zhang family controls 60% of the market share.”
He continued, “The remaining 40% has already been divided among the other businesses. If we enter now, at best we’ll only pick up scraps. There won’t be much profit to make.”
He added politely, “If Young Master Ye truly wishes to invest and do business, you can come to Jiangbei another day. I will certainly help you make a grand move.”
His words were tactful.
If it were just giving out a clothing design contract, even if the design failed, it would not matter much. It could be seen as building a relationship with the Ye family.
But entering the clothing market and competing directly on someone else’s turf was no small joke.
They might not earn a single yuan and could even lose their principal investment.
Li Yonghua said, “Young Master Ye, I have my own thorough plan. I wouldn’t bring this up otherwise.”
Ye Feng had long anticipated Li Yonghua and Chen Zixun’s reaction. After a brief pause, he said, “The Zhang family rose to prominence within just a few years because Zhang Zehao’s father, Zhang Yuanshan, married well.”
He explained calmly, “His wife is an only daughter and was previously married. After their marriage, the two families merged. That is how they secured that 60% market share.”
“But in terms of real strength, whether it is capital or connections, the Zhang family is no match for my Ye family.”
“Now, I intend to take down the Zhang family and enter the clothing market. That is why I’ve deliberately framed the conflict as a personal grudge.”
“In the eyes of others, my target is the Zhang family, not the entire clothing industry. The other clothing businesses would probably be happy to see me destroy the Zhang family so they can carve up the remains.”
His words were persuasive and forceful. The two men were left speechless.
Chen Zixun rubbed his eyes. Was this really the same Young Master Ye he knew?
This level of calculation did not resemble a twenty-four-year-old at all.
Li Yonghua asked in a deep voice, “Young Master Ye, I believe the Zhang family is no match for the Ye family. But the issue is that the other clothing businesses are not fools. How can you guarantee they won’t unite against an external threat?”
He had to admit he had underestimated the young rich heir before him.
Ye Feng was not the completely useless playboy the rumors described.
When Chen Zixun had mentioned last night how Ye Feng had used his sharp eye to buy the painting Autumn Geese and Sunset Clouds and earned Yan Wenjing’s appreciation, Li Yonghua had thought he was exaggerating.
Now, it seemed far more credible.
In business, companies within the same industry might fight among themselves, but they would never allow outsiders to intrude freely.
After all, once a top player in the market falls, no one can guarantee that mid-tier and lower-tier businesses will not suffer next.
The principle of shared fate was something everyone understood.
And once market shares were established, they represented a kind of balance. Unless something unexpected happened, they would not change drastically.
If Ye Feng only targeted mid- and lower-tier businesses, it would not be difficult. The top players would not dare step forward easily.
But the profits would be limited.
If Ye Feng truly went after the Zhang family, it was no exaggeration to say he would be challenging the entire industry.
Ye Feng responded firmly, “How do I ensure they won’t unite against me?”
“It’s simple. I’ll make them believe that I am only targeting the Zhang family.”
“I won’t touch their market share. I only want to take down the Zhang family. They can even help divide it up afterward.”
“But once the Zhang family falls, the remaining businesses will pose no real threat. CEO Li, you should understand the strategy of Qin conquering the six states. It relied on befriending distant powers while attacking nearby ones, forming and breaking alliances.”
His words landed with weight.
Li Yonghua and Chen Zixun were stunned again.
Ye Feng’s business acumen was, without exaggeration, already superior to Jinling’s number one businessman, his father Ye Longzhou.
Moreover, his words carried tremendous influence. Both men could feel their hearts pounding.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ye Feng’s lips. With his “Business Mastery” skill, his business capability rivaled that of the leaders of the nation’s top ten business empires.
His “Persuasion” skill allowed his words to penetrate directly into people’s hearts, increasing his success rate in negotiation.
Li Yonghua took a sip of water to calm himself and said, “Young Master Ye, if that’s the case, then taking down the Zhang family may not be difficult.”
He found Ye Feng’s approach feasible. Others might think of doing the same, but they lacked the necessary conditions.
Ye Feng had the backing of the Ye family, and his personal grudge with Zhang Zehao provided perfect cover.
Still, Li Yonghua was puzzled and asked, “Young Master Ye, why approach me for this matter? With the Ye family’s connections, you shouldn’t lack wealthy investors.”
Ye Feng replied calmly, “The Ye family does have extensive connections, but none of them are in the clothing business.”
“Different industries have barriers as defense. Entering rashly without understanding them is a way to die without knowing how.”
“My Ye family may have money and connections, but those are not universal remedies.”
He tapped his temple and said, “To break through industry barriers, you need knowledge.”
“That is why, CEO Li, you are my best and only choice.”
“Good!”
Li Yonghua’s blood surged with excitement. He raised his thermos cup and said, “I’ll toast to Young Master Ye. Just give the order on how to proceed.”
Chen Zixun smacked his lips and said, “You two settled this already? I want in too.”
Ye Feng said calmly, “This commercial war requires investment measured in billions. If you can convince your father to fund it, then you can join.”
Chen Zixun sighed helplessly and said, “Forget it. My dad only approved a few tens of millions yuan for me to test the waters.”
“If I ask him for several hundred million yuan, he’ll make me go back to work the next day.”
His father, Chen Tianlei, was a capable businessman in his youth, bold and ambitious.
But with age, he had grown more conservative and reluctant to take major risks.
After calming down slightly, Li Yonghua asked seriously, “Young Master Ye, what do you think our chances of winning are?”
Ye Feng thought for a moment and replied, “If I say 100%, you can treat it as boasting.”
“In this world, the only thing that offers guaranteed profit is working for someone else, not investing in business.”
“You are a businessman, CEO Li. You know that the higher the risk, the higher the return.”
“I can only say that we have an 80% chance of success.”
Eighty percent was a conservative estimate.
“E-eighty percent?!”
Li Yonghua was stunned. That was incredibly high.
With even a 50% chance, it was worth taking the gamble. An 80% chance was practically a sure win.
Yet Ye Feng’s expression suggested he considered 80% somewhat low.
“However, I have one condition.”
“Please speak, Young Master Ye.”
Li Yonghua’s attitude had grown noticeably more respectful.
Ye Feng said, “You and I will each contribute half the investment. But I will hold 70% of the shares, and you will hold 30%.”
“At the same time, you must personally serve as CEO and take full responsibility for all operational matters.”
As soon as Ye Feng finished speaking, the thermos cup slipped from Li Yonghua’s hand and hit the ground with a loud clang.
He was completely stunned.